Who is the Hero here?

Through the ages, Palm Sunday was the event ushered me greatly into the Holy week . My church had a sprawling green space around it which rendered it perfect for the Palm Sunday processions which saw all of us waving the palm leaf  singing Hosanna in the highest with great fervour. While the Holy week was a time of gloom and grief at the sufferings of Christ, Palm Sunday in stark contrast was joyous and glorious marking Christ’s entry into Jerusalem.

I look back and see that different phases of my life saw me interpreting this story differently. As a child I was overjoyed at the idea of walking about in a procession, singing and shouting. As a teen I was amused at the Palm leaf, how was it obtained, who made them into crosses, did the ancient people in the actual scene in the biblical times really make it?As a youth I looked forward to dressing up in  glorious whites and perfectly teaming them with the right accessories .

Through my adult life,I have been and still am obsessed with one thought in this plot. ‘Who is the Hero here’. Undoubtedly it was Christ, who rode triumphantly into the city, much to the joy of the people who laid his  way with Palm leaves, clothes etc, Christ who chose to take that path knowing well that the next few days would be what he dreaded. But my answer to the question ,’who is the Hero here’ now also has a new contestant. For may  palm Sundays now I have been imagining that along with the Protagonist, the humble, foolish donkey gets the limelight too Imagine an animal maligned for its foolishness, relegated to the fag end of the spectrum of intelligence, ridiculed and mocked, insignificant is also the animal that the King of the World chose .I often picture how that little creature may have danced in exultation for that day of his life and always henceforth.’The Lord chose me’ ,he must have swelled up in pride. Not a horse,nor the stately elephant ,but a donkey!

1 Corinthians 1:27: But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.

And this thought overwhelms me, rather empowers me that my heavenly Father is the one who stands with the weak, cast aways,with those branded foolish and insignificant and oh my! does he raise them beautifully right in front of the eyes of those sidelined them.So don’t  you  feel let down by the world, don’t be disheartened if  the so called ‘wise’ brand you as foolish coz  with Christ even a  donkey could  be a hero !

Chronicles for my Son Noah